Local shoegaze outfit Aydin releases Cyclones and Honey LP

Aydin is a local outfit with a novel formula for a space-rock band: drums, a reverby guitar with liberal use of the whammy bar and an accordion. It's a system that's kept the group members playing unique rock together for more than five years, and has brought them to their second full-length release, Cyclones and Honey, now available on vinyl with an included CD-R. Their first, Space Affects the Spectator, was released in late 2005; Cyclones builds on this past work, toying more with rhythm and structure while maintaining something of a signature sound.

One clear reference point -- and the one brought up most often -- would be My Bloody Valentine, but these songs are a clear synthesis of a number of influences. On the song "Silver Surf" and others, lead vocalist/guitarist Shannon Mominee's vocals are reminiscent of Ian Curtis, though with a J. Mascis-like waver. (It's worth noting that during these sessions, Aydin recorded a Joy Division cover, which was left off the album for copyright reasons.) When drummer Karen Brooks and accordionist Mark Russell add vocal harmonies, Galaxie 500 comes to mind.

On this album, Aydin sinks deeper than ever before into rhythmic cacophony and melodic decomposition -- a fact with a good and bad side. At times the feel is very much one of confident, deliberate experimentation, and when Aydin owns its sound, it's a formidable force. At other times, it seems that the tremolo usage is a bit overdone, and the polyrhythms slightly too dissonant.

Over their years as a band, Aydin's members have grown a great deal more skilled and more confident, and Cylones and Honey is evidence -- the poppier moments are dreamy and delicious. And when your biggest stumbling block lies in taking the experimentation a step too far, that's not such a bad sign.